Chapter 8 : Addressing Existing Public Concerns
8.1 With the full
implementation of new strategies and initiatives outlined in the previous
sections, our building quality should progressively improve. Nevertheless,
we fully appreciate the prevailing public concern and are committed to
providing safe and quality buildings to our customers. We will therefore
introduce a series of measures to tackle two current public concerns, i.e.
piling works and the production peak.
Piling Works
8.2 The most
fundamental obligation of the construction industry is to deliver safe
buildings. The HA will ensure that this requirement is met at all times
and without exception. We will not tolerate any sub-standard piling works.
However embarrassing, the discovery by the HD of recent isolated
malpractices reflects the fact that our monitoring system works. At
present, the BC operates an "Early Warning System" under which
the details of any sub-standard building projects are released to the
public whenever they are discovered, along with the HD's proposed
follow-up and remedial actions. This system has worked well and has
increased our transparency. The challenge is to make it work better. In
this spirit, we will introduce a series of further measures to safeguard
the quality of piling works.
8.3 In the short run, we -
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(a) |
will
provide a resident engineer for each piling contract to strengthen
the professional input and monitoring. We will ensure that the
resident engineer and the site supervision team will monitor and
witness all critical stages of the piling works, e.g. coring, to
make sure that they are properly carried out.
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(b) |
are
re-checking the piling works of all 106 uncompleted residential projects to
ensure that they all meet the required standards. The whole
exercise will be completed in two months. Enhancement works will be
made whenever necessary.
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(c) |
will
tighten up the control on sub-contracting activities of piling
works. We will require all main-contractors to seek our
agreement on the use of their sub-contractors. For large-diameter
bored piles and driven piles, we will require the main contractors
to own and deploy at least 50% of the piling plants to demonstrate
their close supervision of this important work.
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(d) |
will
engage independent consultants to witness and endorse the final
acceptance tests at the end of the piling contracts. These will
cover critical aspects, including coring and loading tests which are
necessary to verify the pile founding levels and the strength of the
piles. Instead of allowing contractors to undertake final acceptance
tests, we will conduct these tests by our own testing contractors to
enhance the independence of the testing process. These measures will
enhance the objectiveness of our piling works.
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(e) |
will
commission an independent consultant to audit the HD's piling works
who will report direct to the BC half-yearly. The consultant
will advise on the adequacy of the HD's piling works supervision
system and the performance of selective projects with a view to
making further improvements.
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(f) |
will
review the use of pre-cast pre-stressed concrete piles and tighten
up implementation specifications. We will not use this piling
method for projects where site conditions do not favour its use.
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(g) |
will
widen the use of engineer's design for sites with complicated
geotechnical conditions. This will reduce the risks of
contractors in problematic sites.
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(h) |
will
deploy 37 additional dedicated site staff to supervise in-house
piling works, and strengthen the manning-scale of consultants'
piling projects.
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(i) |
will take
a more flexible approach in considering requests from piling
contractors to extend the works period of their contracts in hand
where there are practical and genuine grounds for doing so. |
8.4 In the medium to long run, we will
consider -
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(a) |
increasing
the qualification and experience requirements for contractors' core
site staff. We will ensure that contractors have competent staff
to supervise this important task.
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(b) |
extending
the use of sonic tubes to all large diameter bored-piled projects so
that 100% checking can be made if necessary.
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(c) |
establishing
the HA's own list of piling and goetechnical investigation
contractors.
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(d) |
establishing
Piling PASS to assess contractors' performance more thoroughly and
to introduce the Preferential Tender Award System to induce
consistent good performance from piling contractors
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(e) |
reviewing
the basis for determining liquidated damages for piling contracts to
achieve equitable risk-sharing. |
8.5 As some of the recent piling problems may involve corruption and
commercial fraud, the HA will work closely with the Government and
other stakeholders to uphold the industry's ethical integrity. We will -
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(a) |
continue
to work closely with the ICAC in detecting and investigating
malpractices. We shall liaise with the ICAC to review our
supervision system to identify further improvements for reducing the
chances of corruption.
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(b) |
recommend
that the Government should review the levels of fines regarding
sub-standard building works in order to provide a meaningful
deterrent against unscrupulous contractors and consultants.
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(c) |
urge
relevant trade associations and professional institutes in the
industry to develop a Code of Practice and other sanction systems
to promote the importance of professional integrity amongst their
members. |
8.6 As the
Building Committee's Investigation Panel on Accountability has been
looking into the piling problems in Tin Shui Wai, we will make reference
to the findings and recommendations of this panel for further improving
our piling projects when they are available.
Production Peak
8.7 Over
compensation for the land supply problem has resulted in some 180,000 new
units currently under construction. This production peak has imposed
particular pressure and challenges on all those in the supply chain. With
the establishment of the Steering Committee on Housing and Land Supply, we
look forward to having a steady land supply in the future. Feasts and
famines benefit nobody in the industry. A stable land supply and hence a
steady housing construction programme are crucial for the healthy
development of the industry.
8.8 Despite the
production peak and the strong demand for public housing, the HA will not
sacrifice quality for quantity. We will stick to our established quality
standards. Shoddy products will simply not be accepted even at the expense
of programming delays. To cope with the completion of a large number of
flats, we will -
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(a) |
conduct
more surprise checks by Project Managers and audit teams for all
on-going projects. This will strengthen our quality supervision
and tackle quality problems at source.
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(b) |
contract
out part of the final inspection work of new flats to independent
monitoring professionals. This will enable the HA to deal with
the upsurge in workload given the existing staff resources. It will
also enhance the independence and objectiveness of our inspection
work.
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(c) |
draw up a
special operation plan for taking over the large number of new flats
scheduled for completion in 2000/01, including providing more
intensive training for property management agents and accelerating
their involvement in taking over new flats, as they will be the
management agents. |
These three initiatives will help us to
safeguard our quality standards at the completion stage and to steer
through the production peak.
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2000 Housing
Authority. All rights reserved.